George Mason in the News

Posted: December 7, 2007 at 1:00 am, Last Updated: November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

Following are highlights of national news coverage George Mason recently received.

Friday, Nov. 30, Dallas Morning News

Presidential Candidates Target Young Voters in Iowa

“With the Iowa caucuses less than 40 days away, presidential candidates from both parties are aggressively courting the state’s young voters. Yet a big youth turnout seems unlikely Jan. 3, when the state becomes the first in the nation to vote. Even though more young people voted in 2004 and 2006 than in past elections, the total number is relatively small. And because the parties moved the date of the caucuses up, most college students in Iowa will be away on holiday break. ‘Young people can play a role in the Iowa caucuses, but are they going to? This is always the question,’ said Michael McDonald, a George Mason University professor and an expert on voter turnout.”

Monday, Dec. 3, Washington Post

You’re the Wedding Planner. Now What Do You Do?

“George Mason University students waited expectantly as the guest lecturer plugged in her curling iron. The topic on the syllabus: updos. The stylist attached a mop of shiny fake curls to sophomore Brittney Tobin’s long blond hair, swept it up onto her head and pinned on a bridal veil. ‘Is there a veil on my head?’ Tobin squeaked, wide-eyed, fluttering a hand in front of her face. If there’s one thing assistant professor Maggie Daniels wants students to know in her semester-long class on wedding planning — apparently the first in the country at a four-year college — it’s that this is not just fluff. Daniels teaches crisis management and event planning for what has become an enormous business, estimated at anywhere from $80 billion to $161 billion a year nationally. Spending on weddings has nearly doubled in the past 15 years.”

Tuesday, Dec. 4, Christian Science Monitor

Dollar Slips, Euro Gains Credibility as Viable Rival

“For over half a century, the U.S. dollar has been the preeminent form of legal tender in the world. Much of today’s global trade is priced in dollars, even if the item in question isn’t being sold or bought by a U.S. firm. Most of the foreign exchange held by national central banks is dollars — not British pounds, Chinese renminbi, or Japanese yen. In essence, foreigners are content to use dollars as the primary means to store their wealth. They’re willing to do so because they’re pretty sure the United States isn’t going away, and because (for now) they have faith that the Federal Reserve will keep a lid on domestic inflation, which devalues dollar holdings. ‘A lot of people hold dollars just because it’s handy. Everybody is willing to take them in return for other currencies, or for stuff,’ says Russell Roberts, an economist at George Mason University.”

Wednesday, Dec. 5, Financial Week

CEO Comp-Consultant ‘Conflicts’ Slammed by Congress

“Some of the largest companies in the United States use outside compensation consultants with ‘significant conflicts of interest’ to determine CEO pay, according to a report released today by California Rep. Henry Waxman, the Democratic chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The report also said that more than two-thirds of the Fortune 250 companies don’t disclose to investors their compensation consultants’ conflicts of interest. (Under recent changes in disclosure rules by the Securities and Exchange Commission, companies are only required to name their outside pay consultants.) Some experts questioned the need for such added disclosure. Said Houman Shadab, senior research fellow at the regulatory studies program at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center: ‘Since there is not adequate research showing that hiring compensation consultants for nonconsulting services affects shareholder value one way or another, there is little justification at the moment for requiring companies to disclose such information.’”